November 05 Babies

[Rodeo]

A new thread for us and our little 2, 3 and very nearly 4 month olds, where is the time going??!!

JJ - long enough to put cream on his bottom and put a new nappy on

And no I wouldn't want to leave him with a trained stranger, but I may have to soon as w are going to a conference where they don't let over 3months in the main room . there is a video link to the accommodation so maybe I'll be sad and stay at home!

JenJam sometimes Holly has her nappy off for up to an hour, sometimes its just a couple of minutes as occassionally she will scream blue murder. I have found the pampers changing mats fab though cos I can guarantee that as soon as you take her nappy off she will wee (yesterday in the middle of baby massage class whilst stark-naked!!! She doesn't go to bed till midnight though despite my best efforts to make this earlier so 'bumtime' is usually used in the evening to keep her calm.

Diege i know what you mean - being a mum doesn't make me housekeeper extroadinaire either although i confess that between us, i do sometimes feel a bit guilty as BoB, that i;m not doing enough as my life post baby is quite stress free compared to my (and my DP's) job.

And even though there's a little munchkin around I've got so much time to myself compared to before! Just goes to show how allconsuming careers can be if you let them. I used to get so stressed out by unrealistic deadlines, and often worked 10am-11pm and regularly 10 a.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. etc. Now that i'm off it makes me wonder why i did it because i'm sure i didn't earn enough for that kind of dedication. with trepidation i will return in september

anyway back to household chores. I do do the laundry etc. but i did when i was working (except then i had less time), not becuase james thinks it's my job but because i don't agree with his approach to doing it i.e. throwing everything we own clean or dirty, handwash or dry clean into the machine and them putting the 'balls' of shrunken or wet fabric on the radiators to dry v.e.r.y. slowly over the next month. then it's all so crinkled that i put all my stuff through the washing machine again so i can 'reshape' while damp and to avoid ironing it.

Although i don't cook much, i might do some bulk adult cooking while i'm off for my own amusement . and it would feel great to have 8 lasagnes, shepherd pies etc in freezer instead of a bottle of absolute, two magnums and a couple of out of date chicken breasts (TESSASMUM did laugh at your recommendation to not take bulk baby food cooking too seriously - that's exactly teh sort of thing i would do!)

anyway, i'm sure you are all riveted by the cahill williams household approach to easy living

best go and think about what to eat. jacket potatoes i think.

welcome yorkshireGAL

oh btw nova - what's your childminder like? age description etc. How many days does she help you out? and is it regular? how did you go about finding her etc etc

golden - my cold seems to be improving so hope to make it tomorrow...

JenJam - bathtime is the only non-nappy time for mine.

When you say 'trained stranger' in the creche, do you mean a nanny?

The DTs are with a nanny half a day a week, and approx. every other week I leave them with a couple of girlfriends for the afternoon.

Girlfriends are not stangers, but they are not trained either!

right spuds in oven.

Where is everyone? - are you all tucking into a candelit duck a la orange?

Hi all . tried to catch up with all the chatter but it is near impossible with you guys.

DH left on Mon till next Thurs so am busy on my lonesome with the kiddies. Have been trying the Baby Whisperer methods for the sleep problems and things are a little better with DD but DS is upset and missing daddy, so I was basically up every hour last night.

Re Excema - DS had it and we tried the lush cream which was quite good but not as good as the prescribed cream - hydrocortisone and diprobase. At 2 he now rarely has flair ups but does have v dry skin so we moisturise all the time.

Re Nappy off - we use cloth so I try to give her a bit of fresh air every nappy change and then a good 10 min before and after bath.

Hadnt really thought of nicknames - I will now though!!
Off to watch the apprentice and thank god Im not working at the mo...

hi golden, nursery assistants at the virgin gym were twenty somethings (kept thinking they might have started nursery nursing last week for all i know). the team leader said all staff were qualified and the creche is ofsted regulated. so they said the right things. i'm just wrestling with a little bit of guilt and wondering if i can trust people who (i am guessing here) work in a transient setting.
btw in my head your nanny sounds perfect - a young mrs doubtfire or mary poppins !

Evening girls,

Bob do you keep any sharp knives in your kitchen? If so I'd suggest using one your dp - what a cheeky begger!!!

Bob I've just realised Ben shares your B'day as his birthday is 8th March too, sorry to be so dense but I can't seem to get my head around the fact that it's his b'day next week for some reason - so now we'll definitely be having lots of cake when we meet up next week!

the nicknames are cute, Thomas is known as Thomas Tittlemouse or Mouse for short!

Busy read your article today, you and the boys look great, very good read buy the way! I also bought the magazine & a couple of boxes of chocs for a friend of mine who is crippled with SPD at the moment. Having to take it easy is driving her nuts!

Nova I bet you were ready to send out a search party for Natalie by 6pm weren't you. Still it seems like Natalie is obviously happy with the minder which will hopefully make leaving her that bit easier, what a pain that your dh has to go away for the wedding. I take it you will know lots of people there though?

JenJam thomas has his nappy off for bath time and a little while after that but that's about all I'm afraid.

Londoner of course you're invited next week, we're meeting Tuesday or Thursday I'm leaving the final decision to Tex as her little ones are still poorly.
Is anyone else up for B'Day cake and a stroll in the park?

Karma hope the post natal group went well today and that your HV was helpful this week - will definitely call you on Friday afternoon for a proper chat.

Tessa agree with you about not letting 3 year olds loose with paint - Ben "helped" daddy paint his magnetic chalk board the other week and fell off his step, nutted the board and ended up with the paint up his nose Thankfully it all came off without a problem but I was tempted to leave it on so that I could summon him with a magnet instead of having to call him a dozen times whenever I want him

Right off to be an organised mummy and pack the party bags for Ben's party on the 12th - Not really organised just want to steal some of the choclate and it's a good excuse to open the variety packs

Speak to you all tomorrow Beks

HI all welcome Yorkshire puddling ( cool name) Just been scanning through the posts and the nicknames and silly songs!!! Diege " Fat face"! Poor little Libby Seth gets called Sethie (v unoriginal), chubster, and the name that we use for both our kids 'beak' or 'beaker'!! GOd knows where that came from!!!

Went into work today to say hello to everyone. I do miss it sometimes well I miss my colleagues and things change when you are not there and no-one thinks to tell you!!! Logged onto work e-mail and found 142 unread messages which I have begun to trawl through!!

RE; housework etc and babies ( I know i'm a bit late with this one !) but I read quite a sweet thing once which said:

" There's many years ahead for cleaning and cooking....
Your children grow up while your not looking.."

Thats my motto anyway ( Don't think DH would agree though!!!)

Another meet in Sheffield would be great keep me posted.

Hi to everyone!!!xxx

PS: Thanks V much Londoner

Evening ladies. Football widow here so thought I'd drop in and say hello.

Lol at DHs sleeping through crying. One night last week I had gotten in bed with Tobes because he was so ill. I was woken up by Rosie crying in our room, went in to check on her and there was DH fast asleep. Then Tobes woke up and started crying for me too. I ended up standing in the hall bobbing my head back and forth between the rooms saying 'Just a minute sweetheart... I'll be right there...hold on a sec...' Finally kicked DH out of bed. He went to Toby's room and Tobes came and got in bed with me. Rosie is still in her basket next to our bed. I don't mind taking care of both children but they at least need to be in the same room!

As for nicknames, Toby's latest is Bing Bong Smacka Bum Bum. Not sure how that came about. I call them Cowboy and Cowgirl too. Trying to cling to an ounce of Texas-ness.

Candie, we've been lucky with Rosie's reflux as it's quite mild. The Gaviscon and all of the things that Yorkshirepud describes do the trick for us. Good luck with it. I know it can be really tough. I have a friend whose little boy suffered from it and was in a lot of discomfort. I'll have to ask what worked for her. I know she used some medication in the end.

JenJam, I only take Rosie's nappy off during changes or bathtime. What are the benefits of having it off for longer? Might need to try it. As for leaving Rosie with someone, I would trust my instincts. If I had a good feeling about someone then I would feel fine about leaving her for an hour or whatever while I worked out. You can always pop in and see how things are going and take her out of the creche at any time.

Beks, Bob, Londoner, definitely on for next week. Would Thursday be OK? Just found out that they're starting work on our kitchen next week and DH is in Bermuda with work. Hmmm, quite a coincidence. I'm so desperate that I'm decamping to the ILs for a few days but will be back Wed night. Not looking forward to having nothing but a microwave and a kettle for two weeks though it is a great excuse for lots of meals out.

Diege, I saw that edition of OK today and will definitely be buying it for my quiet coffee on Friday morning (will be in Costa if anyone wants to join me). Looks like Jordan finally got rid of those dreadful extensions. So embarrassing, but I do love all that rubbish.

Who saw Fit Club last night? I did think they were a bit mean to Anne Diamond. Silly woman, but still.

Just found out a friend of mine is pregnant and due on Rosie's due date. So funny that she's going through things at exactly the same time that I did. It's the Valentine's day effect!

Welcome Bob2 and Yorkshirepud!! This is a great group. The only problem is keeping up!

Forgot to say that we had a turning point yesterday and it seems the lurgy has lifted. Hooray! Both children still a bit snuffly, but sooo much better.

BEKs, crossed posts! I must email and ask what Ben is into. Will be doing my birthday shopping this weekend. Tobes is so looking forward to the party.

Golden - you're not American are you??? I've never known English people to use the term 'girlfriend' in that context, only Americans!

Mamman - Re: Baby Whisperer - I tried her PU/PU technique with Caleb the first time at lunchtime nap today when he wouldn't go to sleep and I think its the first time ever since he was a few weeks that he slept thru the entire time till 2:30pm! It did take me 20mins to do, but it was worth it!

Maman - love the apprentice - that Jo is a complete nutter. Could not work with her.

Could not believe how dreadful Nargis's presentation was, and how rude she was to the buyers. And what is the link between cats and Gt. Ormond St?

JenJam - my nanny is not so young - in her early 40s.

Re: Creche - why don't you go and have a look at it? See if you like the look of it/staff. Maybe you can catch some other parents there and ask them about it too. But, to be honest, if you are not completely happy/relaxed there is no point leaving him - you will only spend your time away from him being anxious.

Beartime - no, I'm a Londoner, born and bred, just think 'girlfriend' it is yet another Americanism taking over.

Oh dear - just realised how 'French' that sounds. They are always moaning about north Americanism and the loss of French language and culture as if it is something fixed and static...............

Evening! Just off to bed, after watching a good edition of the Apprentice (Rodeo? ).
Have quickly skimmed through latest posts, so scuse if I miss out something important!
Nappy free time - about 15 mins twice a day or so; it really calms here down and she gallops so hard you can hear it in the other room! Supposed to be good for preventing nappy rash I think?
Re: leaving with staff at gym; did this with dd1, and it was fine (plus a good practice for nursery); the good thing is that you are in the same building, so if any probs they can easily contact you. Why not give it a try? If not sure, you could just not do it again? Wouldn't mind a creche so I can get some decent shopping done, wouldn't bother with gym though !
Glad everyone's feeling better now TEX; yes, I will enjoy reading OK! too; still waiting unopened! Reminds me that my own extensions are looking extremely manky too! BTW, just finished Jodie Marsh's blog...actually think I like her now!! Arghhhh!!!
Speak tommorrow,
Diege

Agree Golden; think Jo will be out next week (thank god!); couln't have scripted a more cringeworthy character . Yes, Nargis was just the rudest ('I've not finished talking yet)

Hello All! My gosh, just a couple of days not posting, and it's taken me half an hour to read all the posts!!!

Welcome to YorkshirePud and Bob2 - very friendly bunch here!!

Nova - where do you live again? Don't think there is anyone near me either (Warwickshire)

JenJam - pmsl at smelly-welly-nappy-wappy!!!!!
Closest we get to a nickname is Little Man or Little Big Man, often refer to him as T as well, especially in emails and texts.

Candi - good luck with feeding - positive thoughts and vibes - let us know how it went.

Nappy free time - not that much really, a couple of minutes per nappy change - left off a bit longer today and inevitable happened - he peed twice!!!!!

We too have a very sore looking neck - very red. Think the amount of dribbling we are doing with the cutting of the first tooth (definite hole spied in the gum!!) isn't helping any. Have tried loads of cream, but nothing is helping at the moment - might give the lush cream a go if it is that good.

ANyway, best be off, need to get some sleep (dh on night feed tonight!!)

Brownie & Thomas
x

still got lergy here! alfie slept through last night-hooray!-first time in a week after doing so for the last 8 weeks but then..if theyre ill, theyre ill... poor little sod looks sooooooo sorry for himself at the mo!

Bought practical parenting yesterday-eeek,how embarrassing but I suppose it could have been worse

right, will make cocerted effort to get back on later and read posts and write a reply, but have to get on now, later x

Morning everyone! Glad you had a good night's sleep BAM - you really appreciate it after a bad spell don't you? And the article was brilliant, so don't put yourself down! Hey, imagine how those readers that have their births photographed feel ...knowing that your 'bits' were going to be on display for all the world to see must be v.nerveracking!
Last bit of neck redness has gone now, so yes I would recommend dream cream, though not sure it would be too effective if the infection had really taken hold. Think it must be the tea-tree oil in it that does the trick?
Well, freezing here today, and v.snowy. Hope you are OK TWINKLE (have vision of spades and wellies ). Driving lesson this morning ; wondering if snowy conditions will make it harder?
Better go, as she's not settled. Lib's first cold, but shouldn't complain as it had to happen!
Speak later,
Diege

morning all

golden i'm up, i'm eating toast, i'm about to shower and i'm going out ...wooooo hoooooo!

see you at the multi-coloured library at 11 am

it's a beautiful day - the sun is shining

...and you can see my windows badly need cleaning

have a wonderful day everyone (just realised that sounds a bit american dunit?)

morning diege so BAM is in practical parenting? i'm going to have a little lookie, what page?

Morning all.

Hi Jen - if you feel really energetic the pram club is on at 1:30, so we could do that after baby bounce and a bit of lunch?

Pages 24-25 !!

arghhhh, I want to come too!!! If I leave now I'll be with you, say, this time tommorrow?

hi BAM - you and your boys look lovely! I read that article a couple of days ago (before i knew it was you) and remenber thinking 'hot sex!?? better not leave this lying around for dp to see......i had to roll out of bed towards the end and my knees were stuffed. poor dp.

well done you for giving birth in the pool . i couldnt take the temperature - felt sick and irritable - wouldve loved to see finn swim out. how long was your second labour?

and do you have any plans yet to do the mw course, or are you going to see how things go with two under two before making any? i also think being a midwife would be an enjoyable career (not sure about all the hosp politics but would be very rewarding to make a difference to womens experiences and to see all those babies come into the world

right better get a move on

hope to talk more later

beartime thats not you on p.26 is it donna with her caleb?